Here's how to get the Chik-Fil-A flavour, kids. My grandmother basically developed this method of seasoning chicken breasts for GA's Jesse Jewel company.

First, buy the best quality boneless chicken breasts you can locate. Natural foods stores might be good. The best chickens are NEVER the largest. Big breasts of the poultry variety are from old egg layers. They will be tough and flavourless. If you can't find smallish boneless chicken breasts, get small ones on the bone and debone them yourself.

Buy 'chicken base.' McCormicks', Minor's, or Better than Bouillion all make professional chef's chicken base. It is broth, reduced to extreme concentration, comes in jars. Place 4 breasts (or 6) in a shallow bowl or plastic Tupperware container. Using a wooden spoon, remove about 3 or 4 tablespoons of chicken base to a glass bowl. (This is so you won't 're-dip spoon into the base.) Using a spoon and or your fingers, spread the base as evenly but lightly all over the chicken breasts. It's like you're using the base instead of salt. You are, in fact.

Next, grind a good amount of fresh black pepper all over the chicken breasts. About a teaspoon of finely ground pepper for 4 to 6 breasts should do. If you like the flavour mix in about 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme or sprinkle dried whole thyme lightly through the chicken.

Then take a lemon. Squeeze it and strain juice into bowl. If you have a lemon squeezer, squeeze the juice of 1/2 a large lemon over the chicken breasts and mix lightly. Chicken should be a little wet from the juice, so you may need the juice of one whole lemon for 4 to 6 small breasts.

Let the chicken sit on counter, covered, for 1/2 to 1 hour.

Then whisk one egg with two table spoons cold water or buttermilk in a bowl.

Start your large heavy skillet on burner to a little over medium high. Put about 3/4 cup of peanut or vegetable oil in skillet. You can add about 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine if you like.

Place about 1 cup of flour in a big ziploc bag, sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper in bag.

Using fork or tongs dip each breast of chicken into the egg wash.

Then place the chicken breast into bag, one after the other. Shake the chicken breast in the bag, make sure each is thoroughly coated. Then remove with tongs, place into the hot oil in the skillet. Cook breasts for about 6 to 8 minutes or until golden on bottom. Then turn, no more than once. Bottom should take about 6-7 minutes to cook. When done lay chicken breasts on paper towel lined platter to blot excess oil.

This recipe will give you the Chik-Fil-A flavour. Maybe you'll have preheated the oven to 325 when you started marinating the chicken and later you wrapped up some buttered hamburger buns in a big foil pocket while you were cooking the chicken. If so place the chicken in warmed buns, and don't forget to put a pickle on the chicken.

I mis-typed. For 4 to 6 breasts of chicken about 3 to 4 teaspoons of Chicken Base would be a good amount to do a very light coating. Tablespoons would be far too much!

Thanks for the recipe, Morticia!

Thanks for sharing, this looks tasty.

I'm on a lower-sodium trend lately, but I'm so tempted.


Edited to add: Years ago, I read that Chick Fil A used to use dill pickle brine as a marinade for their chicken, but I've never been brave enough to try it, LOL!

I've got four breasts in the fridge to cook... I'll try this recipe, Paula!!

guess what's for dinner tonight

Sounds REALLY REALLY good! Thanks Paula!!

I did make them and tried them out on an unsuspecting husband and he was impressed , he had not a clue what had been "done" to the chicken but whatever it was he was highly impressed.

What does a girl have to do to get a dinner invitation around here?

I'm happy you liked it, Mrs. V.

I told a friend who had known my grandmother that I had posted 'the recipe' here. As a young man he'd talked with her about it, maybe more than I had. I watched her prepare chicken for us. My friend said the acidic ingredient which tenderizes the chicken breasts was actually some juice (brine) from the pickle jar, and that the 2 pickles on each Chik-Fil-A sandwich were meant to subtly accentuate that flavour. Hmm, I think I'll try the recipe that way next time.

I love to use the tiny bit of chicken base instead of salt, and lemon juice as a tenderizer and flavouring. After the 1/2 to 1 hour marinade, one can dip the chicken breasts in the egg wash, and flour the chicken. Or one may lightly flour the chicken breasts, dip in egg wash, then panee' (use bread crumbs) the chicken for a Chicken Francese type recipe.